Tufting machine



July 5, 1966 J. T. ROCKHOLT TUFTING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 13, 1962 INVENTOR. John T Rockholi BY 1 S /(M14.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,259,089 TUFTING MACHINE lohn T. Roclrholt, Chatsworth, Ga. Filed Sept. 13, 1962, Ser. No. 223,349 1 Claim. (Cl. 112-79) This invention relates to tufting machines and is moreparticularly concerned with a machine and method of producing primary patterns of tufts and a secondary pattern of different tufts in a base fabric, and wherein certain of the tufts are spaced from adjacent tufts in longitudinal and transverse rows according to a predetermined design.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Serial No. 112,413, filed May 24, 1961, entitled Tufting Machine.

7 In the past, stop needle machines, wherein individual needles are actuated have been extensively employed for producing bedspreads and the like. US. Patent No. 3,016,029 is an example of such a stop needle machine. Further, machines for producing high-low pile have also been produced wherein a yarn feed mechanism controls which of a pair of cooperating hooks on a looper receives the loop. The stop needle machines have been capable of producing tufted designed in bedspreads by leaving blank spaces which may be filled in in a subsequent hand controlled operation. Heretofore, however, with the exception of the machine disclosed in my aforesaid applica .tion, no machine has been capable of producing spaced stitches of a secondary design within a primary design in a single operation.

With this problem in mind, I have devised a simple but effective tufting machine which is particularly suited for producing bedspreads of the type having an outer design formed by high cut tufts and in inner design formed by spaced low tufts.

Briefly, the present invention includes a conventional stop needle machine wherein the needle bars are selectively actuated to sew tufts according to-a prescribed pattern, the loops being initially caught on the lower bills of double bill loopers. A yarn feed machanism for feeding varying amounts of yarn to the needles determines whether. the loops remain on the lower bills or are jerkeditherefrom so as to be received on the upper bills of the loopers. Subsequently, the loops received on both bills of the double bill loopers are cut by the usual knife arrangement after the loops are carried rearwardly by movement of. the base fabric.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to produce a multi-needle tufting'machine and method which is capable of sewingprimary andsecondary patterns of tufts and is also capable of. varying thespacing of adjacent tufts in a longitudinal row.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an attachment for a conventional stop needle machine so as to permit themachine to produce high and-low tufts and space these tufts according to a prescribed pat-tern.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a machine which is capable, in a single operation, of producing a primary pattern and a secondary pattern within the primary pattern.

Another object of the present invention is to provide almethod of sewing tufts in a base fabric so as to produce,

pattern goods having various height piles and variously spaced piles.

Other objects, features and. advantages of thepresent invention will be apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein. like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, vertical, sectional view of a 3,253,089 Patented, July 5, 1966 ice tufting machine constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view of a detail showing one end of the pattern drum assembly of the machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, plan view of the feed rollers of the yarn feed mechanism of the machine shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a wiring diagram ofa portion of the electrical circuitry of the machine shown in FIG. 1.

' FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken substantially along line 55 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross sectional view substantially taken along line 66 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the tufted fabric produced by the machine of the present invention.

Referring now in detail to the embodiment chosen for the purpose of illustrating one form of the inventive concept of the present invention, it being understood that the present invention is not limited to the exact details herein depicted, numeral 10 denotes generally the cross bed of 1a multi-needle tufting machine which is supported by legs (not shown). The cross bed includes front and back bed plates 12 and 12' which have, at their upper ends,.

inwardly turned opposed parallel flanges 13 and 14 which form a work table over which the base fabric 15 is fed in a conventional manner by the feed rollers 16 and-17 of the machine. On the flange 13 is a conventional throat plate 18 which protrudes partially across the space between the flanges 13 and 14 and provides openslotsa conventional Way.

The main drive shaft 22. is provided with the usual cams, such as cam 25, which reciprocate the connecting rods, such as rod 26, so as to reciprocate the'vertically disposed bars 27 in their respective journals 28. The journals 28 are supported from the housing 21. The bars 27 carry, at their lower ends and reciprocate in a vertical path, a horizontally disposed pin supporting bar 295 through which extend a pluralityof evenly spacedtransversely disposed needle bar actuating pins '30.

Disposed in front of and spaced from the bar 29 is a slide plate 31 which is appropriately supported in position by brackets 32 extending from the housing 21;

The slide plate 31 is provided wit-h a plurality of vertical slots or recesses which receive in evenly spaced;

side by side relationship the vertically disposed needle bars.33, each needle bar 33 carryinga needle 34. The

needle bars- 33- are free to slide in the slide plate 31 in.

parallel vertical paths, the upward movement of the needle bars 33 being limited. by. a top flange; or stop 35 carried on plate 31. Each needle bar 33 is urged against the flangeor stop 35by a spring-36 extending down-from the housing 21 and connected to the top of its associated needle bar 33.. Thus, in their normal position, each needle bar 33 is in the poisti-on shown in FIG. 1.

It will be observed that the rear portion of slide plate- 31 is so machined that a substantial area of the rear sur-v faces of the needle bars 33 are exposed adjacent the hori-.

zontal reciprocating bar. 29. Each needle bar 33 is provided with a' relatively narrow, rearwardly opening slot. or notch 37 of a size just sufficient to receive its pin 30,

as shown in FIG. 2. Each needle bar 33 is also provided with a slot or notch 38 along its ba-ckedge, the slot 38 being below the slot 37.

In the present disclosure, the machine is a twoend control device. In other words, one needle bar 33 is The feed rollers 16' and 17 are synchronized with the main drive shaft'22 in provided with a pair of spaced parallel needles 34. Likewise, the yarn feed mechanism hereinafter disclosed controls yarns 60- in pairs, as will be understood by those skilled in the art. It, however, will be understood that a single end control machine may be made without departing from the inventive concept hereof. The slots 38 of the needle bars 33 are in a horizontal plane when the needle bars 33 are aligned, and each slot 38 is adapted to cooperate with a secondary pattern mechanism including a latch or detent member 40. In the present embodiment the latch or detent member 40 is a horizontally disposed angle iron, one edge of which is secured by hinges, such as hinge 39, the lower side of the pin supporting bar 29. The detent member 40 thus depends from bar 29 and faces forwardly so that its other leg forms a latch bar 41 which may be oscillated into and out of all notches 38. Springs, such as spring extending between bar 29 and member 40, normally urge the detent member 40 out of engagement with the notches 38.

For actuating the detent member 40 to move its bar 41 into and out of engagement with the notch 38, a pair of solenoids 43 and 44 is carried respectively by the brackets 45 and 46 which extend forwardly from slide plate 31 at about the same height as the mid-portion of the stroke of the lower end portion of the detent member 40. Extending essentially horizontally from the plungers of solenoids 43 and 44 are control rods or cables 47 and 48, the ends of which are connected to the ends of the detent member 40 at the lower edge portion thereof. Solenoids 43. and 44 are sufficiently strong that, when actuated, these solenoids 43 and 44 overcome the tension of the springs, such as spring 42, to pull the detent member 40 and its bar 41 into the slots 38. How ever, solenoids 43 and 44, when energized, are sufficiently yieldable that while holding the detent member 40 in engagement with notches 38, they do not interfere with the reciprocation of the pin supporting bar 29. Of course, when the solenoid-s 43 and 44 are deenergized, the springs, such as spring 42, return the detent member 40 and its bar 41 to a disengaged position as seen in FIG. 1.

In like manner, the pins 30 are individually selectively withdrawn by a bank of solenoids 50 acting through control rods or cables 51. The solenoids 50 are carried in side-by-side or stagger relationship by a cross bar 53 supported by brackets, such asbracket 54, extending from the stanchions, such as stanchion 20'. The solenoids 53 are thus spaced rearwardly of and are preferably in essentially the same horizontal plane with the pins 30 when the pins 30 are at about the midportion of their stroke.

Each pin 30 is provided with a return spring 55 con nected between its outer end and bar 29 for the purpose of returning the pin 30 to its engaged position in slot or notch 37. Hence when its associated solenoid 50 is not energized, the pin 30 engages in its associated notch 37 as the bar 29 approaches its top dead center position.

For feeding or controlling the feed of all yarns or threads to their respective needles 34, according to a prescribed pattern, there is a yarn control or feed mechanism which may be any one of a variety of the yarn control mechanisms which are normally used for producing high and low loops by the backdrawing of yarn from a preceding loop. In the present embodiment, the yarn feed mechanism is of the type ,shown in US. Patent No. 2,935,037 and includes a pair of metal cylindrical yarn feed rollers 61 and 62 arranged parallel to and adjacent each other. All yarns 60 are fed between the closely adjacent peripheries of rollers 61 and 62. Each roller 61 or 62 has equally spaced knurled circumferential peripheral portions separated by smooth portions, the knurled portions 63 of roller 61 being respectively opposite to the smooth portions 64 of roller 62 and the knurled portions 65 of roller 62 being opposite the smooth portions 66 of roller 61. Thus, each yarn 60 must, at all times, be between a knurled portion 63 or 65 and a smooth portion 64 or 66.

The ends of rollers 61 and 62 are provided with stub shafts (not shown) which are rotatably journalled by brackets, such as bracket 68, which extend respectively forwardly from the drive shaft housing 21. Outwardly of the rollers 61 and 62, the brackets, such as bracket 68, are provided with upstanding arms 69 which support a plurality of horizontal platforms 70 which are mounted in spaced parallel relationship one over the other. Below platforms 70 and immediately above the outer roller 62, the arms 69 support a cross bar 71 in parallel relationship to platforms 7!) and rollers 61 and 62. The rollers 61 and 62, however, are driven in opposite directions at different peripheral speeds from the main drive shaft 22 to feed yarns 61 toward needles 34, roller 61 being driven at a peripheral speed to deliver yarn sufficient for a short tuft and roller 62 being driven at a speed to deliver yarn sufficient for a long tuft.

It will be understood that each knurled portion 63 or '65 drives the yarn 60 which is thereagainst at the peripheral speed of that roller 61 or 62. Hence, if while a yarn is between portions 63 and 64 it is driven at the peripheral speed of roller 61, and while it is between portions 65 and 66 it is driven at the peripheral speed of roller 62.

For selectively shifting the yarns 60 (in pairs, in the present embodiment) axially of rollers 61 and 62, there is a yarn shifting mechanism above the rollers 61 and 62, as seen best in FIG. 1. The yarn shifting mechanism includes a plurality of lovers 72 in spaced side-by-side relationship pivotally carried by a cross bar 71. Each lever 72 includes a central vertically disposed shank journalled by the cross bar 71. At the lower end of each shank is a lower inwardly extending arm and at the other or upper end is an upper outwardly extending arm. The lower'arm of lever 72 is provided with a pair of eyelets or holes (not shown) through which an adjacent pair of yarns 60 extends, the eyelets being essentially above the adjacent portions of the peripheries of rollers '61 and 62. The upper arms of levers 72 are pivotally connected respectively to solenoids 73 carried on platforms 7%}. By energization and deenergization of an associated solenoid 73, a lever 72 may be shifted sufficiently that the yarns 60 carried thereby will be shifted axially by a distance sufficient for both its yarns 60 to be moved from between a knurled portion 65 and a smooth portion 66 to between a knurled portion 63 and a smooth portion 64 and vice versa.

Normally, whenever a solenoid 73 is deenergized or deactuated, its lever 72 is disposed so that the yarns '60, controlled thereby, are fed by the high loop roller 62, i.e., the yarns 60 are between knurled portion 65 and smooth portion 66. When, however, solenoid 73 is energized, the lever 72 is shifted to move these yarns 66 to the control of the low loop roller 61, i.e. between portions '63 and 64.

The solenoids 73, as seen in FIG. 4, are all arranged respectively electrically in parallel with the solenoids 50, whereby when a solenoid 50 associated with a particular pair of needles 34 is energized or deenergized, the solenoid 73 associated with that particular yarn 60 for those needles 34 is likewise energized 0r deenergized.

Each pair of solenoids 50 and 73 is provided with a circuit including a common ground wire 74 leading to ground from one side of all solenoids 5t) and 73 and a wire 75 connected to the other side of each pair of solenoids 50 and 73 and leading to a switch or brush 76. All brushes 76 are mounted, side by side, on a cross bar 77 adjacent the periphery of a pattern drum 78. The pattern drum 78, in turn, is electrically connected via wire 79 through a source of current 80 to ground. The periphery of drum 78 is electrically conducting; however, portions thereof are coated, according to a prescribed pattern, with insulating material 31 which breaks the circuit from the drum 78 to the respective switches 76 whenever disposed therebetween.

The ends of drum 78 are provided with stub shafts, such as shaft 82 in FIG. 2, journalled by bearings, such as journal bearing 83, the bearing 83 being carried on a. bracket arm 84 extending rearwardly from the shaft housing 21. Outwardly of journal bearing 83, the shaft 82 is provided with a sprocket 85 around which is a chain 86 leading from a sprocket (not shown) on shaft 22. Hence, the rotation of drum 78 is synchronized with the rotation of shaft 22.

At'the end of drum 78 there is a secondary pattern formed of insulating material 87 around the periphery at spaced intervals. A switch 88 is mounted on bar 79 adjacent the end of drum 78 so as to be controlled by the'secondary patternmaterial 87. The switch 88 leads via wire 89 through the solenoids 43 and 44 to ground, the solenoids 43 and 44 being arranged electrically in parallel for'simultaneous operation.

Within the cross bed is the usual looper shaft 90 which carries a plurality of looper blocks 91 from which extend the loopers, such as looper 92, each looper 92 having an upper bill 93 and a lower bill 94. Adjacent the looper shaft 90 is a knife shaft 95 which carries a pluralityof knives, such as knife 96, corresponding to the number of loopers 92. The knives by shaft 96 are oscillated in timed relationship to the oscillation of loopers 92 by shaft 90 whereby each knife 96 slides on the shank of its looper past the inner corner of the bills 93 and 94.

Each looper 92 is aligned transversely with each other looper, the loopers 92 corresponding to the number of and being disposed below the needles 34 on the opposite side of the base fabric from the needles 34. Each looper 92 has a base carried within its looper block 91 and a shank which extends upwardly and rearwardly from the base of the looper 91.

The lower bill 94 is for forming high tufts and the upper bill 93 is for forming low tufts. As seen in FIG. 1, the upper bill 93 is relatively long and curves outwardly and then downwardly to provide a hook-like end terminating opposite the outer end of the lower bill 94. The end of the lower bill 94 is provided with a curved lower corner 97 which leads from its lower edge in an arcuate path forwardly and upwardly.

Operation.

From the foregoing description, the operation of the foregoing device should be apparent. First, the device is threaded by passing a plurality of yarns 60 in essentially parallel relationship down from the tubes (not shown) of a creel or supply zone (not shown) through the eyelets of the levers 72, thence between the rollers 61 and 62 to the needles 34 via the usual guide bar or yarn jerking mechanism 99. Next, the base fabric is passed between rollers 16 over the flanges 13, 14' and the throat plate 18 and through the rollers 17. Thence, the base fabric 15 travels to the usual takeup rolls (not shown) and inspection frame (not shown).

Next, the machine is started by rotating the main drive shaft 22. This reciprocates bar 29 up and down, rotates the pattern drum 78, rotates the rollers 16 and 17 and rotates the rollers 61 and 62, while rocking the looper shaft 90 and knife shaft 95 back and forth about their respective axes.

The machine therefore begins to operate by passing the base fabric 15 in a predetermined continuous path through the tufting zone whereat, the needles 34 successively insert yarns 60 through the base fabric 15 to form transversely aligned loops of yarn, the loops being yieldably caught by looper 94. As the tufting proceeds, the needles 34, operating in the tufting zone, insert successive increments of yarns 60 through the base fabric at irregular intervals longitudinally and transversely of the base fabric 15. The yarn feed or control mechanism feeds the yarns 60 toward the tufting zone while varying the tension on the yarns 60 so as to prescribe whether the loops or tufts will ultimately be held by the upper bill 93. or the lower bill 94, whilethe knife 96 severs all yarns on both bills 93 and 94after fabric 15 has moved the loops from the immediate vicinity of the tufting zone.

In more detail, the position of the pattern drum 78 will determine which pair of solenoids 50 and 73 are energized and which are not energized, depending, of course, on which circuits are made through the pattern drum and which circuits are broken. With certain solenoids 5t deenergized, the pins 39 associated therewith will be urged into engagement with their associated notches 37 so that certain needle bars 33 will be engaged with the bar 29 and reciprocated therewith. The needles 34 of all such reciprocated needle bars 33 will be moved downwardly through the base fabric 15 upon each down stroke of the needles 34 whereby aligned lo-ops'of yarn' 60 Will be inserted through the base fabric 15 to form a first row of transversely aligned irregularly spaced tufts. Since the needles 34 associated with only the deenergized solenoids 5t) will be inserted through the base fabric 15 (asv thus far explained) the yarns 60 associated with such needles 34 will likewise be under the control of deenergizedsolenoids 73. Hence, these yarns 60 will be aligned by levers 72 with knurled portions 65 and be controlled by the higher speed roller 62. Therefore, relatively long amounts of yarns 60' will be delivered as the needles 34 move downwardly.

As in the usual tufting machine, the looper shaft rocks the loopers 92 forwardly as the needles 34 descend. Thus, the bills 93 and 94 of each looper 92 pass between its associated needle 34 and its yarn 60 as the needle 34 approaches bottom dead center whereby the loops inserted by all needles 34 are initially caught by looper bills 94. Since adequate yarn 60 is fed to the loop, the continued forward movement of each looper 92 and the rearward movement of the fabric 15 cooperate to urge the loop onto the body of the lower looper bill 94 where, after several cycles of the machine, it is moved rearwardly sufficiently by movement of the base fabric 15 for the knife 96 acting against the side of looper 92 to cut the cop.

When a solenoid 56 is energized, it withdraws its associated pin 30 from notch 37 and hence the associated needle bar 33 is disengaged from sewing and is returned by spring 36 to its initial position. By such an arrangement the primary pattern, consisting only of long cut tufts 190 in FIG. 7, is produced, according to the prescribed pattern on drum 78.

The secondary pattern, i.e. the pattern formed by the short tufts 191 in FIG. 7, is produced by the combined action of detent member 49 and the energization of solenoids 73. Since the secondary pattern is a fill in within the primary pattern and consists of longitudinally spaced transverse rows of short tufts 101, all needles 34 (except those sewing high tufts are utilized. This is accomplished by the energization of solenoids 43 and 44 when brush 88 engages the exposed periphery of drum 78 and a circuit is made thereto. The solenoids 43 and 44, in turn, pull the detent member 40 forwardly in an arcuate path so that the bar 41 is inserted into the notch 38 of all needle bars 34, as the notches 38 become aligned when the bar 29 approaches top dead center. At any other time, certain of the needle bars 34 will be displaced downwardly because of their engagement by the pins 30 and hence the bar 41 cannot latch in.

With the bar 41 engaging all notches 38, all needle bars 34 (regardless of whether their pins 30 are engaged in notches 3-7 or not) will be moved downwardly to the same extent as if they were controlled by pins 30. The pins 39 of the needles 34 which are not intended to sew high tufts 100 of the primary pattern, of course, will be withdrawn because their solenoids 50* are energized. At the same time, the solenoids 73 are also energized, whereby the yarns 60 associated therewith are shifted to between knurled portions 63 and smooth portions 64. Therefore, the yarns 60 fed to the needles 34 only under the control of bar 41 will be of an insufficient amount to produce a high tuft. Therefore, when the loops of these needles 34 are engaged by the loopers 9-2., the yarns 60 will, upon further movement, not be received upon bill 9 4 but rather will be jerked off the curved edge 97 and will be received by bill 93-. Thus, a short loop is formed which upon further movement of fabric 15 will be cut by knife 96, as the knife reciprocates past the inner corner of the looper bill 93.

It will be observed that the secondary pattern, i.e. the pattern formed by the low tufts 101 in the present embodiment, is symmetrical and evenly spaced longitudinally. Usually it is desirable to sew three short tufts 1101, skip two and sew an additional three tufts ltll. In this way, the speed of the low speed roller 61 may be timed to provide adequate yarn for the back stitch (not shown), even though there is a skip between stitches or tufts 101.

As will be understood by those skilled in the art, other types of yarn control mechanisms, such as shown in US. Patent No. 2,876,183 or NO. 2,784,698, may be substitutcd for the yarn feed mechanism here disclosed. In the device of the aforesaid patents, the feed of the yarn is arrested according to a prescribed pattern. Hence, it is a simple matter to synchronize the pattern of the yarn arrest with the pattern needle control for needles 34 to supply the right amounts of the yarns 60 to needles 34. Indeed, if desired, a slat attachment, such as disclosed in US. Patent No. 2,853,033, may be employed for feeding the respective yarns 60 in the right amount to the needles 34, in place of the yarn feed mechanism here disclosed.- In each instance, the pattern control for the sewing of needles 34 and the pattern control of yarn 60 are synchronized in that each will be driven from the main drive shaft 22.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many variations may be made in the embodiment chosen for the purpose of illustrating the present invention without departing from the scope thereof as defined by the appended claim. a

I claim:

A tufting machine comprising a drive means, means for feeding a base fabric along a predetermined path through a tufting zone, a bank of individually movable needles in said tufting zone, variable speed yarn feed means for feeding yarn to said needles in said tufting zone, pattern control means driven by and synchronized with said drive means, first actuating means operatively connected to said pattern control means for selectively connecting various ones of said needles to said drive means, second actuating means operatively connected to said pattern control means for selectively connecting all of said needles to said drive means, said variable speed yarn feed means being operatively connected to and synchronized with said pattern control means and being constructed and arranged to feed said yarn to said needles at a predetermined speed when said needles are connected to said drive means by said first actuating means and at a speed different from said predetermined speed when said needles are connected to said drive means by said second actuating means, and looper mechanisms each including upper and lower looper bills w-hereby yarn being fed at said predetermined speed is caught by one of said looper bills and when fed at said speed different from said predetermined speed is caught by the other of said looper bills.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,876,525 3/1959 Janney 112--79.6 2,935,037 5/1960 Card 11279.6 2,989,014 6/1961 Dedmon 112-79.6 3,016,029 1/1962 Card 11279.6 3,025,807 3/1962 Gebert 11279.6 3,075,482 1/1963 Card 11279 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Examiner.

T. E. BEALL, JR., M. J. COLITZ, Assistant Examiners. 

